Endometriosis is a female health disorder that occurs when cells from the lining of the womb (i.e., uterus, endometrium) migrate and invade other areas of the body in the abdominal cavity. This can lead to pain, irregular bleeding and problems such as infertility.
Kidney disease can include diabetic nephropathy and progressive glomerulonephritis.
Diabetic nephropathy (also known as Kimmelstiel-Wilson syndrome, nodular diabetic glomerulosclerosis, or intercapillary glomerulonephritis) is a type of kidney disease caused by angiopathy of capillaries in the kidney glomeruli. Diabetic nephropathy is characterized by nephrotic syndrome and diffuse glomerulosclerosis and is often associated with longstanding diabetes mellitus.
Progressive glomerulonephritis (also referred to as rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) or crescentic glomerulonephritis) is a syndrome of the kidney that is characterized by a rapid loss of renal function in combination with glomerular crescent (crescent-shaped scar) formation often seen in at least half of glomeruli. Severe injury to the kidneys' glomeruli occurs with many of the glomeruli exhibiting characteristic glomerular crescents. Without treatment the syndrome can rapidly progress into acute renal failure and even death within months.
Inflammatory disease can include liver inflammation, steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis.
Liver inflammation (such as hepatitis) is characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the liver. Liver inflammation can occur due to a variety of infections or other disease indications, including viral hepatitis infections or non-viral infections. Liver inflammation can also be drug induced, and can occur in response to drugs such as alcohol, antidepressants, antihistamines, immune suppressant drugs, antihypertensives, antibiotics, antiepileptics, antidiabetics and antivirals.
Steatohepatitis (also known as fatty liver disease) is a type of liver disease that is characterized by inflammation of the liver in conjunction with fat accumulation in liver. The disease is seen in alcoholics as part of alcoholic liver disease, but also occurs in people with diabetes and obesity and can be related to metabolic syndromes. When not associated with excessive alcohol intake, the disease is referred to as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH; or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)). NASH is also known as the progressive form of the relatively benign non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Steatohepatitis of either etiology may progress to cirrhosis. NASH can also be associated with Lysosomal Acid Lipase Deficiency.
Liver fibrosis (also known as cirrhosis) is often a result of chronic liver disease and is characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrotic scar tissue and regenerative nodules which leads to loss of liver function. Cirrhosis can be caused by alcoholism, hepatitis B and C, and fatty liver disease, as well as other causes. Liver fibrosis is generally irreversible, and treatment usually focuses on preventing progression and managing complications. In advanced stages of liver fibrosis the only option is often a liver transplant.
Transplant rejection (graft-versus-host-disease; GVHD) is a common complication and often occurs after an allogeneic stem cell or bone marrow transplant from another person. Immune cells in the donated marrow or stem cells recognize the recipient as “foreign” and attack the recipient host's body. GVHD can also occur during a blood transfusion. Generally, the three Billingham Criteria are used for evaluating the occurrence of GVHD: an immuno-competent graft is administered that contains viable and functional immune cells; the recipient is immunologically disparate (histoincompatible); and the recipient is immuno-compromised and therefore cannot destroy or inactivate the transplanted cells.
There remains a need in the art for therapies for the treatment of endometriosis, kidney disease, inflammatory disease and/or transplant rejection (GVHD). The present invention provides for that need by providing treatment and/or diagnosis of endometriosis, kidney disease, inflammatory disease and/or transplant rejection (GVHD) disease via pathways related to AXL and/or GAS6.